Trip Report: Sunday at the 'Boat House Of Blues (HOB)

[wilsonkop]

I was sitting around the house yesterday and the wife decided she was going to visit her parents for a few hours so I took the opportunity to head down to AC for a short session. Hopped in the car cruised over the Ben Franklin Bridge and headed for the city that is “Always Turned On”.

On my way down I decided to break from my usual routine of the Borgata. So I was going to play somewhere else, but where? Trop? Nah, didn’t feel like playing in a room that feels dirty. So that ruled out the Taj too. So I was choosing between Caesars and HOB. I heard HOB gets a good tourney crowd on Sunday so they should have at least a few 1-2 NL games going. I’ve never played there before and my memory of free parking at Showboat sealed the deal. I figured I could always stroll over to the Taj if nothing was going. Showboat HOB here I come…

I bypassed the exit for tunnel and head into the heart of AC. Now I remember why I love the Borg. The traffic signals along the road down to the Taj area are horrible. 10 minutes later I cruise into the surface lot at the ‘Boat.

Now off to the poker room. I was pretty sure the room was close to the Boardwalk so I had a bit of a trek in front of me. No worries, a little exercise is good for you. Upon entering the ‘Boat, I see a Wachovia ATM (no fee – score!) but the line is like 3 deep and I don’t feel like waiting. I figure I’ll just hit the next one. All the rest I see are PNC so I give up and fork over the $4 surcharge because I’m too lazy to walk back to the entrance.

I find my way to the HOB area and decide from intuition that the poker room must be upstairs. The signing really could be better. I find the room and hit the podium.

Me – “I’d like to play 1-2 NL”
Floor – “I’ve got a seat for you, grab your chips at the cage”
Me – “Great, can you sign me up for a card”
Floor – “Sure, just need your DL”
Me – “Sweet”

I buy in for the max ($300) and get seated in a typical loose passive 1-2 NL game. 1st couple orbits, nothing of interest happens. Some guy with a Rutgers hat likes to raise a lot. One guy is falling asleep and doesn’t know how long he has been up (it is like 2 PM by now). I get comfortable, order a beer, and fold, fold, fold…

Finally a playable hand, JJ in MP. Two callers to me, I pop it to $12, BB calls and one other limper comes along for the ride. Flop is J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. I bet $20 into a $35-ish pot. BB (who seems totally clueless) calls. Turn is a beauty – 2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] filling me up. I bet $35, BB calls. Pot is now $145. River is a blank. BB has about $100 behind. I push, he folds. Three hands later, the BB called of his last $100 with Ace high. What?!?

Nothing happens for about an hour except for the usual rotation of interesting peeps. A fun hand comes up between Solid Asian Guy (SAG) and Rutgers (RU). SAG goes all in after a flop of KJx. RU says “lets gamble” and calls for his last $130 with AQ. SAG show KJ for top two. Turn is a blank, and you all know what the river was because it wouldn’t be interesting unless it was a 10. The table goes nuts. RU says “I would have folded if you didn’t go all in. I didn’t think you had more than a pair. I love this game.

Another hour goes by and I win a small pot with pocket 10s. Get a couple of c-bets picked off when my AK and KQ fail to hit the flop. I’m hovering around even when this hand comes up…

4 limpers to me on the button with J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I limp. SB and BB come along for the ride. Flop is J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]8 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. SB checks, BB bets $12, MP calls, I pop it to $35 clearly representing the J I hold. SB calls my $35 cold (uh-oh) and then BB does his “you want me to go home already routine”.

BB had just sat down and can only be described as a cross between and old Indiana Jones and Jerry Garcia. Anyway Jerry re-raises to $85. Folded to me and I tank. Eventually I muck b/c I don’t think he is capable of making a move and I only beat a J with a worse kicker. Also, I’m not sure what is up with the SB. SB calls. Turn is a blank. Jerry bets $50, SB calls. River is a blank. Jerry goes AI, SB folds. Jerry shows J8 for the Boat. I ask the SB if he had 9,10? He says yes. Maybe he had clubs too?

I continue to hover around the $200 for a while when I get dealt KQ for 4 out of 5 hands. The first four, I raise twice, everyone and their mother calls, I check fold the flop. Twice I think I limped or called a small raise, same result. The fifth time must be a charm. K [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] in EP. I limp, somebody raises to 6, a bunch of people call, 5 to the flop for $6. Flop is 10 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and I’m thinking the flop finally hit me with KQ. I lead for $15, get two callers including old WPT guy. He has the full outfit. Hoodie, wrap around shades, and big ass headphones that are sitting atop his head but not on his ears. He also has some ugly woman rail birding him complaining about bad beats in a donkament. Turn is a black 5 which does not make me happy, but I fire $70 and WPT folds after a stare down, other guy folds too. I show my frush since I’m leaving when the blinds return and WPT shows me his Ah and says “nice bet”.

I finish down about $30 which was OK considering my cards. My c-bets did not work and my overcards missed the flop quite a bit. Walking out, I hit up Starbucks for a Grande Coffee and a biscotti and I’m back home in 65 minutes sitting on my couch.

[illmatic]

Nice report! How do the games at HOB compare to Borgata? Sounds a little nittier by your description?

later
illmatic

[GretasGun]

[ QUOTE ]
BB had just sat down and can only be described as a cross between and old Indiana Jones and Jerry Garcia.

[/ QUOTE ]

Was he singing 'Deal' when he re-raised you? If so, always fold.

Otherwise, don't you have work to do on Monday afternoons?

[wilsonkop]

[ QUOTE ]
Nice report! How do the games at HOB compare to Borgata? Sounds a little nittier by your description?

later
illmatic

[/ QUOTE ]

There were a couple of nits but overall I thought the game was better. Pretty much any 1-2 NL in AC is a good game but several people at this game were consistently willing to put all there chips in with Top Pair or a draw.

Bottom line, I would choose the Borg for ease of access (both from the highway and surface parking lot) but the HOB is fine for some NL especially if you want to hop in one of their tourneys.

[wilsonkop]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
BB had just sat down and can only be described as a cross between and old Indiana Jones and Jerry Garcia.

[/ QUOTE ]

Was he singing 'Deal' when he re-raised you? If so, always fold.

Otherwise, don't you have work to do on Monday afternoons?

[/ QUOTE ]

Work on Mondays? Nah, Monday are for recollection of the weekend. As for my buddy Jerry, he did not bust out any solo renditions of Dead classics.

[RobTheDuck]

Next time, park in their parking garage. It's also free, and less of a walk.

The poker room signage at the rear of the casino does suck, but on the boardwalk end, any self-respecting hawaiian shirt wearing "pro" can't miss the signs to the poker room (i.e. the giant escalator that says POKER ROOM ---&gt.

[bigscore]

cool report, post more